Licensing Politicians?

We found out this year that Iowa seems to far over regulate many businesses in the state.

If you want to become a “cosmetologist” cutting hair, giving manicures, shampooing, waxing people you need a license. You need a degree. You probably will enroll in a 14 month program and spend between $20 and $34 thousand dollars according to the register.

There are many other trades and professions for which we want expertise – electricians and plumbers come to mind.

On the other hand the people who write these laws regulating businesses, politicians, your members of the legislature don’t have to have any certification. No training, no courses, no proficiency tests, are needed. Practically anyone can get elected and become a legislator.

Does that make any sense?

Well, sort of.

The “founders” of the United States and of Iowa wanted positions of leadership in politics to be democratic – available to “ordinary citizens.” That meant only minimal age and citizenship requirements and no specialized education. In theory you don’t need to have finished any school or training to run for office.”

In 1800 it may not have been necessary to to have many skills except logic to be an effective representative of the people who themselves for the most part had a minimal education. Skills were passed on, often by experience or apprenticeship. You didn’t have to go to farrier school to learn how to show a horse or mule. Even veterinarians or doctors only had minimal formal education since there were few procedures and almost no diagnostic equipment not to speak of complex medications.

In 2013 many trades and occupations are very complex and require training. I’m not sure cosmetology is one of those but certainly legislators are supposed to write laws on extremely sophisticated problems. Energy, education, healthcare, climatology, genetics, biotechnology, finance. The list goes on but you get my point.

If politicians can do a good job (assuming you think they are doing a good job) with no special training for the job they must do could someone cut my hair by learning it on the job too?